Lillian

I'm thrilled to add a potential impact bat, however this signing does raise the issue of Abreu's place, going forward. The Sox are going to need to spend on a LH hitting, middle of the order bat, in free agency, or make a trade. That player will either have to be a corner outfielder, or a DH, which leaves Jose with no place to play. Therefore, once Vaughn arrives, Abreu would likely need to be gone. We also better really hope that Collins can stick, behind the plate and that his bat will be good enough. There is not going to be room for him at first, and he probably is not going to be a good enough hitter to DH. Then too, there is still the question of Burger, yet another right handed hitter, who profiles best as a DH, or maybe a first baseman. It still baffles me how this front office has managed to stock up on so many right handed hitting, first basemen, DH's. Not very good planning. We have one legitimate Left handed hitting, middle of the order, impact bat; Moncada. Even there, it would have been nice to have the luxury of batting him 1ST or 2ND, to take advantage of his speed. Anderson, Robert, Eloy, Burger and now Vaughn, all right handed hitting. Perhaps they thought that trading for Rutherford was going to help address the problem. However, he is really struggling.

Agree, if he's there.

I usually agree with your observations, especially on Abrams, and I too like Bishop. I'm just wondering if there are other sources which agree with you and Law, regarding how elite and special Vaughn's bat is? Is he clearly in a tier above Bleday and Bishop?

Allow me to clarify the point, which I'm trying to make about Abrams. Yes, I agree, SS is a very valued, premium position. If his profile were: An elite defender at SS, who will be able to stick at that position, I might be on board. However, that is not his profile. According to MLB Pipeline, it's rather; "The biggest question with Abrams is where he'll eventually make his defensive home. The Alabama recruit has solid arm strength and a chance to stick at shortstop, but he doesn't have the most fluid actions. He might fit better at second base or center field, and he played the latter position in deference to Bobby Witt Jr. on Team USA at the 18-and-under Pan American Championships in Panama last fall." So, what are we looking at here? A guy who is not an elite defender at either SS, or CF. It's fine that he has tools, which "might" enable him to become a good SS, or center fielder, but at #3, unless he has an elite bat, shouldn't we be expecting more?

This idea that Abrams "might" a good SS, or Center fielder is what troubles me. If he doesn't have an elite bat, then I want more than a guy who might develop into a good SS, or center fielder. This profile suggests to me that he only has one elite tool, which is his speed. Remember, this is the 3RD pick. Too risky for me.

Has Abrams ever even played CF? Again, at #3, shouldn't he be a proven elite defender in CF, rather than some fast kid, who might profile as a "potential" center fielder?

However, aren't there questions about his being able to stick at SS? At #3, doesn't he have to be an elite defender, unless he has an exceptional bat?

The game has shifted even more toward the long ball. Hard to imagine the Sox use top 4 picks, two years in a row, for guys who don't fit that profile. Moreover, those kinds of players are the least expensive to obtain through free agency. I think a middle of the order bat, or a top of the rotation starter, are the profiles, which should be targeted with a #3 pick.

No one seems to have Abrams slotted as high as #3. Since that's where the Sox get to make their first selection, it would be "getting cute," by definition, if they take him. Therefore, unless you think that they can pull off some coup, saving money, for future rounds, it's not going to be a good choice.

And if he gains "lots of pounds," he may not retain his elite speed, which seems to be his only exceptional tool.

Well guys, I think we just have to trust the "Pros". This is their job and they have much more information than all of us, put together. Whomever they select, it should be an interesting and exciting evening. I'm really looking forward to it. Thanks for a stimulating discussion and all of the information.

I couldn't find it. Would you please post the link? Thanks.

That's too easy. Of course none of us would complain if the player, whom we preferred turned out to be a bust, while the player we actually chose turned out to be a super star. A better question would be, if they both turned out to be productive Major Leaguers, which one would you prefer?

6:00 Central Time. Coverage starts at 5:00 Central time

Is that just hyperbole, or do some actually call Vaughn "the best college hitter ever"? I've read several opinions that he is the best hitter in this class, but not the best "ever".

Bishop is 9 months younger than Bleday, just in case it matters to any of you. I wouldn't be disappointed, it the Sox took Bishop. I like the added tool of speed. Either one of those two, would be fine with me, especially if they could save a little money with Bishop.

What is the point of burning his service time? We've had this discussion many times, the last one being over Eloy. The Sox are not going to be in contention, with this thin pitching staff. Wait until the date, next year, when we will still have 6 full years of control, starting in 2021. Next year is the soonest realistic chance for this team to be competitive. Having both Kopeck and Cease join the rotation, could be enough to vault the Sox into contention. What's wrong with letting him finish the year between Birmingham and Charlotte? He's only 22. Perhaps you were asking when he will be promoted to AAA. That is a good question. It may be more challenging for him to continue hitting at Birmingham. No one else seems to be able to hit much there.

Thank you. Since we only have the option to vote for one player, in each poll, I assume that we are expecting both Rutschman and Witt to be off the board, by the 3RD pick. If not, then I would change my vote to Rutschman. I would personally rank them in this order: Rutschman, Witt, Bleday, Vaughn.

Perhaps the question to ask is; How good is Law at evaluating hitters and how many respected scouts agree with him?

I'm not confident enough, in my technical skills, on this board. However, if someone could put it in the right format, I would suggest listing at least the top 3 candidates, in order, for each of the two categories; 1) Who do you want? 2) Who will the Sox take?

When is someone going to post a thread, in which we can vote for whom we think the Sox will take, and whom we'd like them to take?

For those who haven't seen this MLB.com piece on Brett Baty, yesterday: https://www.mlb.com/news/latest-news-2019-mlb-draft?t=mlb-draft-coverage

Looks fine, against LH pitching. One LH bat, in the first 6, doesn't look so hot, versus RH pitching. Sorry to have to keep bringing it up, but I'll stop, when people stop ignoring this indisputable fact. As inept, as many here believe they are, even Renteria and Hahn recognise it and that's why we can be confident that they will address the issue. It also explains why Alonso continues to bat, in the middle of the order. He's there, because the Sox don't have anyone else. It's pretty hard to find a successful team that fielded a lineup of so many right handed hitters. I keep trying to identify a good free agent candidate, to fill the void, but can't come up with one. It may necessitate a trade.

How much money could the Sox save, by taking Baty and how might they employ those dollars, for other selections, in this Draft?

Baty is just 1 1/2 years younger than Vaughn. After reading that article by Kiley, about the Progressive approach, not yet fully embraced by colleges, I have a greater appreciation for the advantage of taking a prep prospect. Again, here is where scouting is really difficult and critical. If the Sox evaluate Baty as a talent worth picking 3RD, then they have the advantages of getting him into a professional program, and using a wooden bat, yet they don't have to wait as long to get him to the Big Leagues, as they would with a typical high school prospect. It's also interesting to note that Vaughn was not a very good high school baseball player. He really came into his own, when he got to college. In the final analysis, it all comes down to the scouting department. What the Hell do I know. I've never seen either one these kids and if I had, I wouldn't know how to determine whom to select.